


Matter Of Attraction

by afteriwake



Series: Can You Keep A Secret? [4]
Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Attraction, Background Case, Developing Relationship, F/M, Honesty, Relationship Discussions, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 03:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12696762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: Grace has a few questions for Wayne...





	Matter Of Attraction

**Author's Note:**

> This answers the following prompts: " _Five stages of love (attraction)_ for **stagesoflove** , " _Up Close & Personal_" for **au_developments** and " _True_ " for **30_secrets**.

“So, I have a question for you,” Grace asked out of the blue on a stakeout two weeks after their first kiss in the parking lot. “Why are you attracted to me?”

He gave up on watching for the suspect to look at her, jaw slack. “You’re serious?”

“Yes, Wayne, I am,” she said.

“You’re gorgeous, you’re funny, you’re honest and I think you’re probably one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met,” he said with a grin before turning back to the house their suspect was in.

“You think I’m gorgeous?” she asked quietly.

“Yes,” he said. “I do.” He turned back again to see her blush. “You really don’t think you’re gorgeous?”

“I mean, I think I look nice, but…” she said with a slight shrug. “No, I don’t think I’m gorgeous.”

He shook his head. “Well, you are. One of these days I hope you realize that.” He caught a glimpse of her smile before he turned back to look at the suspect, who was leaving the house. “Guess we’ll have to continue this conversation later.”

“Guess so,” she said, checking traffic behind them so she could pull out and follow him.

He knew that when she was driving she liked it as quiet as possible. She drove like she did everything else, with determination and grace. He grinned a little at the pun. She really did live up to her name. It wasn’t until the suspect pulled into a building and went inside that he looked away from his car and at her. “Why don’t you think you’re gorgeous?”

“There were always prettier girls than me when I was growing up, and the guys made sure I knew it.”

“Most guys are stupid,” he said. “I know I am sometimes.”

“You’re less stupid than you appear. I think it’s all an act. You just play dumb to really get your bearings about a situation.”

“So you think I’m a little stupid?” he asked with a smirk.

“Sometimes,” she said with a smile in his direction. “Most of the time I don’t think you are, though, even when you’re acting like you are. When you’re acting like you are it’s usually because you have a very good reason.”

“See, this is the honesty thing I was talking about earlier,” he said. 

“Most people don’t like it when I’m honest like that.”

“I just ask that if you’re going to be honest with me you don’t hurt my feelings.”

“You mean to be honest but be tactful as well?”

“Something like that,” he said with a nod. “I don’t mind honesty but I don’t want my feelings hurt.”

“Then I promise I’ll try my best not to hurt your feelings,” she said, turning back to the suspect’s van in time to see him getting inside. “Time to go again.”

He nodded and relaxed against the seat, helping her keep an eye on the suspect as they drove in near silence. He had avoided asking the question that was on his mind, for fear he’d sound stupid, but he really wanted to know why she was attracted to him. Now it was burning in his mind and he knew he wouldn’t be happy without an answer. He just didn’t want to ask the question.

**\---**

It turned out he didn’t have to. After they caught the suspect trying to murder the witness to his crime, they took him back to the local precinct for Lisbon to take care of him. Lisbon told them to go grab something to eat while she took care of things. Wayne had been in that town a few times before and directed Grace to a hole in the wall diner he’d discovered by accident the first time he’d been there.

“You never asked me why I’m attracted to you,” she asked after the waitress delivered their food.

He shrugged slightly. “Doesn’t matter.”

She looked at him closely before smiling. “You’re lying. You want to know.” He hesitated for a moment, and her smile grew wider. “I’ll tell you. You’re a good man, someone I really trust. You care a lot about other people, and I know you care a lot about me in particular. And you’re dependable and nice, and…I think you’re handsome, too.”

He forgot about the food for a moment to grin widely. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” she said with a laugh. “So, now you know. Are you happy?”

He thought about her answer, about how he’d felt every day for the last two weeks. “Very happy,” he finally said.

“Good.” She picked up a fry and used it to point to his salad. “Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

He grinned and dug into his food. Everything seemed right, and he was indeed happy his life was finally going the way he’d hoped it would.


End file.
